Revelations
by Aeon65
Summary: Horatio and Speed have to spend their first night apart when Horatio goes to a conference in Atlanta with Calliegh. SLASH, Follows Moving In
1. Chapter 1

Title: Revelations

Author: Aeon Cole

Rating: PG-13

Fandom: CSI Miami

Genre: Slash, Romance, Angst

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Summary: Horatio and Speed have to spend their first night apart when Horatio goes to a conference in Atlanta with Calliegh.

888

Tim stood at the front door and looked at his watch. He called up the stairs, "We really should get going. We still have to pick up Calliegh."

Horatio yelled down, "Okay, I'm coming." A few minutes later he appeared on the stairs with an overnight bag on his shoulder and his briefcase in his hand. He glanced back up the stairs and said, "I think I have everything."

He and Calliegh were heading to Atlanta for a conference. She would be presenting a paper on ballistics comparisons and he would be presenting one on techniques for finding bombing signatures. Normally he would be excited at the opportunity but this time Tim wasn't able to go with him. It would be their first time apart in over a year.

He reached the bottom of the stairs and dropped his stuff by the door then he pulled Tim into his arms. "I'm going to miss you," he said as he leaned in for a kiss.

"Me too," Tim replied as they pulled back. "But it's only going to be for two nights. You'll be back by the weekend and as I recall, neither of us are on call." He waggled his eyebrows causing Horatio to chuckle. "Now come. Calliegh's waiting."

The ride to Miami International Airport was taken mostly in silence. Horatio leaned against his door and stared out the window with a somber expression. Calliegh was in the back seat. At one point during the ride she glanced into the front seat and noticed that Tim was driving the car with only his left hand, his right was on the seat next to him with Horatio's fingers entwined with his. She smiled.

Calliegh had to admit that, although she had been happy for the two when she had found out about their relationship, she had her doubts as to how long it would last. They were such different people. And then there was the age difference. But despite her initial concerns, they seemed to be very happy together and she had noticed a definite positive change in Tim over the past few months.

Tim pulled the car up to the unloading area of the airport and put it in park. Horatio made no move to exit the car. Calliegh decided to get out and get the bags from the trunk in order to giver her two friends a moment of privacy. She opened the back door and said, "Tim, would you pop the trunk. I'll get the bags."

Once their view of Calliegh was blocked by the trunk lid, Horatio leaned over and pulled Tim into a kiss. They were so absorbed that they barely noticed when Calliegh closed the trunk and she suddenly had an unobstructed view of the two. She smiled again and turned away, not wanting to intrude. She walked over to the sidewalk in front of the terminal building and waited.

Tim pulled away first. He locked eyes with Horatio and said, "You'd better get going. I think Calliegh's already waiting."

Horatio glanced behind him and saw Calliegh standing by the terminal building trying to look inconspicuous. He ducked his head and waited for the blush to clear his cheeks. Tim chuckled. Horatio looked back up and said, "I'll miss you."

"Me too," Tim replied and Horatio stepped out of the car.

"I call you this evening," Horatio said as he leaned down to the open window. Tim nodded and Horatio tapped the roof of the car signaling for Tim to drive off. He stood for a moment and watched the car disappear into the maze of airport roads then he turned and made his way over to Calliegh.

She gave him a sympathetic smile and asked, "All ready?"

Horatio's voice failed him and all he could manage was a nod and, "Mmm."

Even with the time needed to get through airport security with their carry-on luggage, they still had to wait another forty-five minutes until they could board their flight. Calliegh looked over at Horatio and said, "You know what? I could really use another cup of coffee."

Horatio agreed so they found a coffee shop near their gate and sat down with two cups of coffee. Calliegh noticed that Horatio was doing more fiddling with his cup than drinking from it so she asked, "Is everything all right there, handsome?" Horatio smiled at the affectation but just shrugged and said nothing.

They sat in silence for awhile longer before Calliegh tried again. She reached across the small table and took his hand. "Come on," she said softly. "Talk to me." She was pretty sure she knew what was bothering him, judging by what she saw in the car earlier but she was hoping she would be able to get him to say it. Eventually she gave up and said, "You know, it's okay to miss him."

Horatio smiled at Calliegh's perceptiveness. He looked up and said, "It's the first night we've had to spend apart." He shook his head. "You know, I've spent my entire adult life alone. Never had a problem with it before." He chuckled lightly. "I think the last time I felt like this I was ten and my mother had gone away for a couple of days to visit her sister."

Calliegh looked down at their joined hand and asked, "You really love him that much?"

Horatio looked down and answered, "When he's not around, I feel like a part of myself is missing."

Calliegh released his hand and took another sip of her coffee. She realized she was glimpsing a side of her boss, her friend, that she never knew existed.

Tim pulled his car into the parking lot at the lab. He hadn't wanted to make Horatio feel any worse about leaving so he had put on his best act but now he was really starting to miss his partner. He idly wondered if he would get any sleep at all for the next two nights in that big, empty bed. He sighed and got out of the car. He walked into the building with his head down and made his way to the trace lab figuring he'd distract himself with some complicated chemical analyses.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Revelations

Author: Aeon Cole

Rating: PG-13

Fandom: CSI Miami

Genre: Slash, Romance, Angst

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Summary: Horatio and Speed have to spend their first night apart when Horatio goes to a conference in Atlanta with Calliegh.

Author's Note: In this chapter, Tim makes a new friend. Then has to tell Horatio about it.

888

Tim's plan to distract himself worked for a while. Several hours passed without him really being aware of it, then Delko walked in. At first Tim was so wrapped up in what he was doing that he didn't notice Eric's presence, until Eric cleared his throat.

Tim looked up at him but didn't say anything. Eric said, "Hey, whach'ya doin'?"

Tim was sitting at his microscope with a book open next to him. "Trying to identify this insect wing I found on a dead body yesterday," he answered.

Eric nodded and took a look in the opposite microscope eyepiece. "Mmm, looks sorta familiar. Some sort of fly maybe."

Tim pursed his lips. "Yeah, thanks. I'd gotten that far. Did you want something?"

"Oh, yeah," Eric said suddenly and held up an envelope. "I found this sticky stuff at the scene of a B and E this morning. I need to know what it is."

Tim took the envelope from him, glad for another distraction. As he tipped the swab out of the envelope Eric asked, "So, you got any plans tonight? You know, with Horatio gone."

Tim shook his head. In truth all he wanted to do was go home and sulk around the house. Eric asked, "You feel like going out? Maybe doing something tonight."

Tim glanced up at him. "Not really in the mood."

"Come on. It'll get your mind off things."

"I wouldn't be very good company," Tim replied.

Eric smirked. "That never stopped you before," he bantered back.

Tim shot him a look but couldn't suppress a small smile. "Look, I'm just tired and I don't feel like it tonight." He noticed the slightly disappointed look on Eric's face and added, "How about tomorrow? Come over to the house after shift and I'll make us dinner. We can watch a movie or something."

Eric nodded and smiled. "Sounds good. Alexx is always raving about what a good cook you are." They exchanged a glance then as Eric turned to leave he said, "Let me know what that sticky stuff is when you figure it out."

Tim got the mass spectrometer started on Eric's sticky stuff then he felt his stomach rumble. He looked at his watch and realized it was past lunch time. He instinctively headed for Horatio's office then stopped suddenly when he realized that he wouldn't be there. He turned and headed for the break room.

He grabbed his tuna sandwich out of the fridge and sat down to eat. After a few minutes Alexx walked in, grabbed her lunch and sat down across from him. She noticed that he wasn't actually eating and asked, "You okay baby?" He shrugged. She continued, "Because there won't be much left of your lunch if you keep picking at it like that."

He looked down and realized that he was absently pulling at the bread on his sandwich. He let out a breath and stopped what he was doing. He picked up his sandwich and took a bite. Alexx said, "It's the first time, isn't it?" Tim glanced up. Knowing he could never hide anything from Alexx, he nodded. "I know this probably doesn't help, but it's only for a couple of days." Tim shrugged, he wasn't feeling very talkative.

Alexx gave him a sympathetic look. "I remember the first night Peter and I had to spend apart. I was eight months pregnant at the time. Worst night of my life, all those hormones and everything."

Tim looked up at her and said, "At least I don't have that to contend with."

Alexx laughed. "Got that right. You'll get through this, just like I did."

888

Tim worked through the rest of the day then decided that there was no more to do at the lab so he might as well go home. Horatio would probably be calling in the next couple of hours and he'd rather be home, in private, when he did. He arrived home and parked the car in the garage next to his motorcycle. He thought that maybe, after Horatio called, he'd go for a ride.

He walked up the path to the front door and stopped when he heard an unfamiliar noise. He looked around and found a small kitten sitting on his front porch. He walked up to it and it didn't run away so he crouched down and held his hand out. The kitten sniffed his fingers.

"Where did you come from?" he asked softly. The kitten rubbed against his hand and he scooped it up. It was a small orange tabby with big green eyes. He thought idly that it was the same color as Horatio's hair.

His next door neighbor, Henry, stuck his head over the fence and asked, "What did you find there?"

Tim turned and held up his new little friend. "A kitten. Any idea where she came from?"

Henry walked around the fence and stood next to Tim. He scratched the cat on it's head and watched as it's eyes closed in bliss. "My daughter found a dead cat in the street this morning. Probably hit by a car. It had the same coloring. It's mother, maybe?" The kitten nuzzled Tim's chin. "I think it likes you."

"Mmm," Tim replied and looked at Henry, who immediately shook his head.

"Oh, no. I already have two," he said.

Tim laughed. "How old do you suppose she is?"

"Judging by the size, six, maybe eight weeks. Certainly old enough to be weaned," Henry replied.

"So, mister cat owner, what do I feed her?" Tim asked, now resigned to his fate.

"I'll get you some food and some cat litter. Be right back," he said as he headed back to his house.

Tim looked at the cat and said, "I wonder what Horatio will think of you?"

He let himself into the house and flipped on a couple of lights. He started showing his new friend around when he heard a knock at the front door. "Come on in, it's open," he called out.

Henry stepped into the foyer and placed a bag of kitten food, a box of litter, and a small plastic litter box on the floor. "Mine are too big for all of this stuff now. You can have it for her." He handed Tim a card. "Here's the number of our vet. You should get her checked out soon as possible."

"Thanks," Tim said. He reached for his wallet. "Let me pay you for this stuff."

Henry held up his hand. "It was stuff I would have thrown out otherwise. Don't worry about it."

Tim thanked him again and Henry left. He looked at the kitten and said, "I'll bet your hungry." He put her down on the floor, picked up the bag of food and headed in to the kitchen. The kitten followed right on his heals. He pulled down two small bowls from the cupboard, filling one with water and the other with food. The kitten ate hungrily.

Tim smiled and watched the little creature eat. He couldn't help himself, he was falling in love. He set up the litter box in the corner of the kitchen. After the kitten finished eating, he picked her up and placed her on the litter. She seemed to get the idea right away.

"Good girl," Tim praised, rubbing her head. "That's where you do that, not on the carpet, okay?" The cat meowed at him and hopped out of the box. She followed him into the living room. He picked her up as he sat on the couch and flipped on the TV. She curled up in his lap and quickly fell asleep.

He sat and watched the evening news for a while then his cell phone rang. The caller ID said it was Horatio calling. He answered it, "Hey."

'Hey yourself,' Horatio replied. 'I've been missing you all day.'

"Me too," Tim replied. "How's the conference going?"

'Good so far. I presented my paper this afternoon. Calliegh does hers tomorrow.'

"Did you meet up with your friends yet?" Tim asked.

'Yes, we're meeting for dinner in a half an hour,' Horatio replied.

The noise of their conversation woke the kitten who mewled loudly at Tim. Horatio asked, 'What was that?'

Tim winced slightly. "Um, how do you feel about cats?" he asked hesitantly.

Horatio was silent for a moment before he asked, 'Is that a trick question?'

Tim went through the whole story about how he found the cat. He told Horatio that Henry had given him supplies and a vet's number. 'You want to keep him?'

"Her, and I'm seriously considering it," Tim replied. "She's the same color as your hair," he added.

This caused Horatio to laugh. 'I can tell you're falling in love. I can't wait to meet her. Have you thought of a name yet?'

Tim smiled, they were cat owners. "She kind of looks like a Cloe to me. See what you think when you get home."

Horatio sighed. 'I'd better get going,' he said reluctantly. 'Love you.'

"Love you too," Tim said before he hung up.

He looked down at his new roommate and said, "Looks like you've got a home, Cloe."

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Revelations

Author: Aeon Cole

Rating: PG-13

Fandom: CSI Miami

Genre: Slash, Romance, Angst

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Summary: Horatio and Speed have to spend their first night apart when Horatio goes to a conference in Atlanta with Calliegh.

888

In the hotel room, Horatio stood with his cell phone to his ear. There was a knock at the door. He opened it and waived Calliegh in while he continued his conversation with Tim.

"Is that a trick question?" he asked and listened to Tim's reply. "You want to keep him?" Again he listened then Calliegh heard him chuckle. "I can tell you're falling in love. I can't wait to meet her. Have you thought of a name yet?" This got Calliegh's full attention and she wrinkled her brow at him. He held up a hand to say hang on a minute then he sighed. "I'd better get going," he said reluctantly. "Love you." After a moment he hung up the phone.

Calliegh finally asked, "What was that about?"

Horatio frowned slightly. "He found a kitten this evening. I think we're going to keep her."

Calliegh could tell by the expression on his face that something was bothering him. "What's the matter? Don't you like cats?" she asked.

Horatio shrugged. "I like cats. That's not it."

"What then?" she asked.

He sighed again. "It's a big thing. I wish I could have been there."

Calliegh smiled at him and shook her head. "Come on, let's go meet your friends for dinner. It'll cheer you up."

Horatio grabbed his suit jacket and followed her to the door. She stopped suddenly and turned to face him. "One question, just so I don't say anything I shouldn't. Do they know, you know, about you?"

Horatio smiled at her and nodded. "I've known these guys a long time."

Calliegh quickly found out what Horatio meant by a long time. It turned out that he had grown up with the two other men at their table. They had all gone to school together, then college and had all joined the police academy at the same time. Dan, who was a sergeant with the New York City Vice Squad, bore a resemblance to Horatio with his red hair and blue eyes, both men being of Irish decent. Then other, Tom who worked Homicide, was darker with brown hair and green eyes. They were having fun exchanging old stories though on several occasions she was certain that they were purposely trying to embarrass Horatio.

"He was always such a serious kid," Dan said slapping Horatio on the back. Horatio ducked his head and smiled. "And a superb shortstop, as I recall."

"Yeah," Tom continued. "Until he broke his collarbone." He shook his head. "Nothing like ending a promising baseball career at the age of twelve."

Calliegh looked over at Horatio and asked, "How did you break your collarbone?"

Horatio didn't answer right away. He downed the rest of his glass of scotch and signaled for the waitress to bring him another. He glanced at his two friends then ducked his head and said, "I, uh, lost an argument with a set of stairs."

He wasn't going to tell her the truth, which was that he'd lost an argument with his father who had thrown him down the stairs, breaking his collarbone and dislocating his shoulder. Nor that he'd left him lying there for an hour until his wife had gotten home to take the boy to the hospital. His two friends had found out the truth soon after the incident but Horatio had sworn them to secrecy at the time.

Calliegh shook her head. "I just can't picture you as a clumsy kid, Horatio." He just shrugged. She was learning that that particular gesture usually meant 'I don't want to talk about it' so she let it go.

As the evening wore on, Calliegh began to get sleepy. It had been a long day and she had to present her paper in the morning. The other three were still talking and exchanging stories when she decided to excuse herself. She was a little concerned about Horatio by this time. She noticed he was drinking more than usual. Before she left she said to him, "Don't stay up too late."

He replied with a "Yes, ma'am" and went back to talking with his friends.

There was a pounding noise somewhere in the distance. Horatio groaned. He opened his eyes and immediately regretted it. The sunlight streaming into the room sent a sharp pain right to the back of his head. The pounding noise continued. Then he heard a voice calling his name. It was a somewhat familiar voice. After a moment he began to get his bearings and realized that the noise was Calliegh knocking at his door, trying to wake him.

His brain still foggy, he rolled out of bed and headed to the door. He cracked the door open and saw Calliegh standing there with a smile on her face. She had two cups of coffee in her hand. She held one out to him and he said, "Remind me to give you a raise." He opened the door and let her in.

The first thing that Calliegh noticed when she walked into the room was that Horatio was clad only in a pair of boxer shorts. She came to the conclusion that he was either so hung over that he didn't realize or that he was totally unselfconscious about his body. The former turned out to be the case. When Horatio turned to place his coffee on the table, she caught sight of the scars on his back and sides and audibly gasped.

It took Horatio a minute to realize that he wasn't dressed. When he did he grabbed his shirt and quickly donned it. "Sorry," he mumbled as he sat down.

Though she'd only gotten a quick look, her training had told her that the scarring was old and extensive. She's seen things like this before when dealing with abuse victims. She sat down at the table opposite Horatio but he wouldn't meet her eyes. They sat in silence for a few moments.

Calliegh wanted to ask him what had happened to cause the scars but didn't know how to begin. If she flat out asked him she would probably get some lame excuse like 'loosing an argument with a set of stairs.'

Horatio sat staring into his coffee cup silently cursing himself for getting drunk the night before. It had caused him to become careless. He'd become so comfortable around Tim that he frequently walked around the house without his shirt on, something a couple of years ago he would never have done. But he didn't even think about it these days. Now someone else had seen the reminders of his violent childhood.

Finally he couldn't take the silence any longer. He had certainly trusted Calliegh with so many other things in the past and this was not going to go away. "My father," he mumbled.

Calliegh's eyes widened slightly and she reached over the table for his hand. He still wouldn't meet her eyes. He didn't need her pity. "Your collarbone?" she asked.

He nodded. "And my arm when I was eight. And my leg when I was ten. A few fingers here and there," he said quietly. "He would get violent, especially when he drank."

Calliegh didn't know what to say at first but she was beginning to realize what drove her friend when it came to his job. His compassion for the children they would run across in the course of their investigations now made a lot of sense to her. But, she also recognized a kindred spirit.

She took a deep breath and said, "My dad's an alcoholic."

This made Horatio look up. "Duke?" he asked in disbelief.

She nodded and the side of her mouth quirked up. "I think every bartender in Miami has my cell number on speed dial."

Horatio looked into her eyes for a moment and could tell she was telling the truth. Then a sickening thought stuck him. "He never…"

"No," she cut him off. "He was never physically violent. He's more of a falling down, neglectful drunk."

Horatio felt a wave of relief knowing that Calliegh hadn't been physically abused. Though he knew the psychological damage could be just as bad. Add to that the fact that Duke was still alive and that she was still dealing with it.

"My mother left him a few years ago and moved back to Louisiana with my brothers. She couldn't take it anymore." she said.

"So now you take care of him?" Horatio asked. He now understood Calliegh's occasional sudden disappearances during the middle of the day after a phone call. She was leaving to go rescue her father.

Horatio took a swig of his coffee and winced as he moved his head too fast. "I guess it runs in my family," he tried to joke.

"You're not your father, Horatio," she said as she gave his hand a squeeze. She pulled a bottle of aspirin out of purse her and placed it in front of him.

He glanced up at her and mumbled, "Thanks."

She smiled at him. "I'm gonna head down to the conference. Why don't you grab a shower and meet me there. After all I wouldn't want you to miss my presentation."

He nodded. "Wouldn't think of it," he replied.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Revelations

Author: Aeon Cole

Rating: PG-13

Fandom: CSI Miami

Genre: Slash

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Summary: Horatio and Speed have to spend their first night apart when Horatio goes to a conference in Atlanta with Calliegh.

Eric walked into the trace lab and found Tim sitting in the same spot and doing the same thing he'd been doing when he'd said good night the evening before. He watched from the doorway for a moment unnoticed before he asked, "Have you been here all night?"

Tim glanced up and gave Eric one of his famous 'you're kidding' looks. "No," was all he said.

Eric chuckled. "Are we still on for tonight?"

Tim groaned inwardly, but kept it off his face. He'd forgotten that he'd made plans with Eric for tonight. He softened his expression and said, "Yeah, of course." He didn't mind spending the evening with Eric, he'd simply forgotten. He felt bad that they didn't hang out like they used to do before he and Horatio had gotten together.

"Great," Eric said. "What time should I come over?"

Tim took a breath, considering what he had to do this afternoon and how long he thought it would take. "How about six? I have a couple things to do this afternoon. I made arrangements to take off early."

"Sound good," he said. "Anything wrong?"

"No," Tim answered. "I, um… I have to pick up my cat at the vet then hit the pet store and grocery."

As Eric turned to leave, he said, "Okay, I'll see you at…" He paused mid-sentence and said, "Wait a minute. You have a cat?"

Tim rolled his eyes. "It's a long story."

888

Tim walked into the house and went straight to the kitchen. He placed the grocery bag on the counter and dropped the bag from the pet store on the floor. Then he carefully unzipped his jacket and lifted the small orange kitten out. She meowed at him. He smiled and placed her in the litter box then began unpacking the bags.

Cloe finished her business and dutifully buried it then walked over and began rubbing against Tim's leg. He was surprised at how quickly she'd become attached to him. And actually, how quickly he'd become attached to her. He reached down and scooped her up. She scrambled up his arm and perched on his shoulder, like a parrot on a pirate, then rubbed her head on his chin.

She had extraordinary balance because she was still perched there an hour later when Eric showed up. "You know you have a cat on your shoulder?" Eric said when Tim answered the door.

Tim shot him a look. "Technically she's still a kitten and she seems to like it there."

Eric held his hand out to Cloe and she immediately tried to back away. Tim grabbed her up before she backed right off his shoulder and probably clawed him in the process. She meowed at him. Feeling more confident in Tim's hand, she reached her head out and sniffed Eric's fingers then rubbed the side of her nose on them, scenting him.

Tim chuckled. "You belong to her now," he said. Eric laughed. "Come on in. The potatoes are baking and I was just finishing the salad then I'll throw the steaks on the grill."

"Whoa, nice," Eric said with a smile as he followed Tim into the kitchen.

"Well, we hardly ever hang out anymore. I thought I would at least make us a good meal," Tim said.

"Hey, I'm not complaining."

Tim put Cloe on the floor and she trotted off to play with some of the toys Tim had picked up at the pet store. He looked over at Eric and said, "Beer's in the fridge. Grab one for me too, will ya?"

Eric grabbed two beers, opened them and placed one on the counter next to Tim. He watched for a few minutes while Tim expertly chopped vegetables for the salad.

"How do you do that without chopping your fingers off?" he asked. He could swear that the knife was moving so fast that he could barely see it.

Tim smirked. "Lots of practice. And plenty of cut fingers."

He held his hand out and Eric noticed that the fingers of his left hand were covered in scars. "Ouch!" he exclaimed. Then he added, "Well, don't cut any tonight. I don't need a surprise trip to the emergency room."

"Don't worry, I hardly ever do it anymore." He smirked again. "Though the first time I did it in front of Horatio, I thought he was going to have a heart attack. He was convinced I was going to bleed to death."

Eric snorted out a laugh. "That sounds like H."

As he finished up with the salad, Tim turned to Eric and asked, "Could you grab the steaks out of the fridge. They're in that big bowl."

Eric did as he was asked. As he took the bowl out he sniffed at the marinade. "Mmm, what kind of marinade is this?"

"It's one my mother taught me. Sort of a curry thing," he replied.

"Your mom knows how to make curry?" Eric asked.

"Yeah, she's from India. She makes all sorts of curries," he said. Seeing the surprised look on Eric's face he said, "You remember a couple weeks back? We were working that case with the murdered family. You told me that your mother's Cuban and your father's Russian." Eric nodded. "Well I can do you one better. My mother's Indian and my father's Irish."

Eric chuckled. "Wow. Is she the one who taught you to cook?" he asked as they walked out onto the back deck.

Tim started the grill and threw the steaks on. "Some but mostly my father taught me. He owns a restaurant in Oceanside." Eric's blank stare caused him to add, "In Queens, New York."

In all of the time that they'd known each other, Eric realized, Tim had never talked about his family or anything to do with his past. He'd noticed a definite change in his friend over the last year and was willing to attribute it to Horatio's influence. He was happy most of the time and more open. Eric knew that Tim had had a difficult life and was glad to see that he was finally happy, even if his initial reaction to finding out about their relationship wasn't a positive one.

Tim gave the steaks one last flip and said, "These are about done. You feel like eating out here?"

Eric was roused from his thoughts and looked up. "Yeah, sure," he answered.

888

Eric sat back in his chair. "That was amazing," he said with a smile. "Alexx was right."

"Thanks," Tim replied. "But don't spread it around too much. I'm a CSI not a chef."

"I don't agree with that. You're a CSI and a chef," Eric shot back just as Tim's cell phone rang.

He answered it absently without looking at the caller ID. "Speedle."

A low, gravely voice caressed his ear with, "Hey baby, I can't wait to lay you out naked in front of me tomorrow?"

Tim's face turned a bright shade of red and he quickly turned from Eric and headed into the house. Eric smirked figuring it was Horatio on the phone and wondering just what he had said that had caused that sort of reaction.

Tim closed the sliding glass door and said into the phone, "Horatio, Eric's here." He heard laughing at the other end of the phone. "You are so dead," Tim said slowly. "You're lucky I wasn't at the lab or a crime scene or worse, with Alexx."

Horatio was laughing too hard to speak for a moment. Finally he said, "Sorry, I couldn't resist."

Tim narrowed his eyes and smirked even though he knew Horatio couldn't see him. "That's all right. I'll get my revenge," he said.

"Looking forward to it," Horatio bantered back. "Do you have all the flight information for tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I'll be there," Tim replied. His voice softened a bit as he said, "I miss you."

"Me too, but I'll be home tomorrow."

"I suppose I'll have to refrain from jumping you in the airport terminal," Tim said with a smile.

"Hmm, that might be a tough one," Horatio replied. "We'll have to keep Calliegh between us, I suppose."

Tim chuckled. "I better get back to Eric before he comes looking for me. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, okay. Love you."

"Love you too," Tim said and hung up.

He took a moment before he walked back outside. Eric smirked at him and was about to say something when Tim cut him off. "Don't even go there," he threatened causing Eric to start laughing.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Title: Revelations

Author: Aeon Cole

Rating: PG-13

Fandom: CSI Miami

Genre: Slash

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Summary: Horatio and Speed have to spend their first night apart when Horatio goes to a conference in Atlanta with Calliegh.

Tim stood in front of the flight information board just outside the security area at Miami International Airport. He sighed. It was supposed to be a two hour flight but weather conditions along the flight path had delayed the arrival by half an hour. He wandered over to a near by bench and sat down. All he could do was wait.

At an elevation of 25,000 feet, just south of St. Petersburg, Florida the pilot's voice came over the planes intercom to announce that they would be landing in Miami within twenty minutes. Horatio heard the engine noise change and as the plane began to descend through the clouds they were buffeted slightly by turbulence. He looked down at the petite blonde who had fallen asleep with her head on his shoulder.

He reached a hand over to wake Calliegh. Her eyes fluttered open and she stretched. She glanced up at Horatio. "Hey," she said sleepily. "Sorry, I guess I was more tired than I thought."

"S'okay," he replied. Calliegh smiled at him as she sat up. "We'll be landing soon," he said.

"What time is it?" she asked.

"A little after five," Horatio answered.

Calliegh let her head fall back against her seat. "I'm looking forward to sleeping in my own bed tonight," she said.

Horatio just nodded in agreement. He, too, was looking forward to sleeping in his own bed tonight. What he was looking forward to even more was sleeping in his own bed curled around his partner after an evening of mind blowing sex. As he'd thought, he hadn't slept well the past few nights and he was becoming impatient to get home. The flight delays caused by the weather hadn't made things any easier.

Down on the ground Tim looked up at the flight board for the hundredth time in the past half hour. This time the message had changed to say that the flight he was waiting for was in approach to the airport and would be at the gate in approximately ten minutes.

"Finally," he muttered. Waiting patiently was not one of his strong points. He got up and moved closer to the exit gate by the security area. He leaned up against the wall with his arms crossed watching the people come through the gate and looking for the tell-tale shock of red hair.

He stood there for an interminable fifteen minutes before he finally spotted Horatio and Calliegh heading toward the gate. Horatio was trying to keep himself in check as he headed through the airport. But when he caught sight of Tim waving from the other side of the gate he picked up his pace, leave Calliegh several steps behind. For the moment, no one else existed in the world to him.

He reached Tim and they embraced for a long moment, garnering a few stares as others walked past them. He gave Tim a quick kiss just as Calliegh reach them. She cleared her throat and suddenly both men remembered where they were.

Horatio ducked his head and Tim blushed slightly. "Come, let's get out of here," Tim said. "I've spent way too much time in airports today."

They made their way to the airport parking garage. Their original plan to keep Calliegh between them failed the moment Horatio took hold of Tim's hand as they walked through the terminal building. And neither was willing to give up the contact. They parted only long enough to get into the car and occasionally when Tim needed both hands on the car's steering wheel.

The three chatted on the ride to Calliegh's apartment. Tim talked about the case he had been working on, now solved. Horatio talked about seeing his old friend Dan Kelly again. And Calliegh chided him for getting drunk that night.

They let Calliegh off at the front entrance of her apartment building. Once she was safely inside Tim went to put the car in drive but felt a hand on his arm. The next thing he knew Horatio's lips descended on his. From the third floor window Calliegh looked out into the parking lot and saw that the car was still there. She rolled her eyes and shook her head then set to unpacking her suitcase.

The two arrived home about twenty minutes later. Tim pulled Horatio into another kiss when they reached the front porch. Horatio broke the kiss a little breathless and said, "Inside, now."

Tim chuckled and opened the door. Once inside he found himself being pinned up against the inside of the door. Horatio dropped his bags and pressed his body up against his lover. Tim wrapped one leg around Horatio's trying to get even closer.

"God, I missed you," he said as Horatio captured his mouth again. Horatio pushed his hips forward causing Tim to moan into the kiss.

After a moment Tim became aware of something nudging his ankle. He broke the kiss and rested his forehead against Horatio's for a moment. Then he looked down into a pair of big green eyes. Cloe meowed at him catching Horatio's attention. Tim reached down and scooped up the little cat who immediately scrambled up to his shoulder. She sat there and eyed Horatio suspiciously.

Tim smiled. "Horatio, meet Cloe," he said. Then he looked sideways toward the cat. "Cloe, this is Horatio. He lives here too."

Horatio chuckled at Tim's introduction and reached out to pet the kitten. She expertly ducked away and Tim said, "Let her sniff you first." So Horatio held his fingers in front of her nose. She sniffed him then scented him by rubbing the side of her mouth on his fingers. After that she let him scratch her head.

"She's so tiny," Horatio said. "How old is she?"

"The vet said probably six weeks. Any younger and she may not have survived with out her mother," Tim said. "She's adapting well to house life, but she seems very attached to me."

"I'm noticing that," Horatio said as he watched the kitten rub up against Tim's chin.

Tim smiled. "Let me go give her some food then we can pick up where we left off," he said as he headed into the kitchen. He returned a few moments later, sans cat, and took Horatio by the hand. "Now, let's have a proper welcome home," he said pulling the redhead up the stairs.

Tim undressed Horatio sending shivers down his body with his gentle touch. They made love slowly, taking their time and renewing their bond after their separation. Afterwards they laid together wrapped in each others arms. Horatio sighed.

"Something wrong?" Tim asked quietly.

Horatio shook his head. "You realize that this is only the first time we'll have to spend apart."

Tim took a deep breath. "Alexx says it gets easier."

"Mmm. I don't know if I'll agree with that next time," Horatio said.

"Well, look at it this way," Tim said with a smirk. "Just think about the welcome home sex."

Horatio chuckled. "I'm still not sure it's worth having to spend time apart."

Tim rolled over and laid himself on top of Horatio. He leaned in for a kiss. "Maybe I can do more to convince you."

FIN


End file.
